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Apr 22 Infographic: How salt consumption affects obesity

For a while, people thought that preventing weight gain could be done by controlling their sugar intake, without considering other nutrients. While trying this particular diet strategy, it is noted that a person might tend to increase their salt intake unknowingly. So instead of reaching out for a bar of chocolate, they would grab chips and other salty snacks.

It is known that high salt consumption increases the risk of high blood pressure, strokes, stomach cancer, diabetes, kidney disease and heart disease. However, recent studies have shown a direct link between salt and obesity. Therefore, salt can be one of the triggers to weight gain and excessive salt consumption puts a person in high risk of obesity.

An analysis done with a number of people, which included testing urine samples and calculating daily calorie intake, showed that people who are overweight and obese have higher salt percentages than those who are not.

It is important to control salt intake and consider its risks as much as sugar consumption, without underestimating the danger either expose on the body.

The infographic below explains how salt and obesity are directly linked, and points out the lower obesity rate in the countries where salt intake is low.

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